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TUCSON, Ariz., March, 2012 – Al and Bonnie Parsons have a retirement lifestyle most of us could only dream of.

Every summer, they live in their 35-foot Winnebago motorhome and work as volunteer interpretive rangers in the national parks.

“Last year, we were in Yellowstone, and we were in Yosemite the year before that,” said Bonnie Parsons, 67, a retired Physicians Assistant. “This summer, we’ll be volunteering at Mount Rainier National Park.”

And when they’re not volunteering in the national parks, the Parsons travel around the country visiting family and friends. They spend the winter at Voyager RV Resort in Tucson, where they own a “park model.”

Relatively unknown to most consumers, “park models” are 400-square foot factory built cottages, complete with full size bathrooms and kitchen appliances. Typically upscale in appearance, they often include hardwood floors, bay windows and lofts as well as cherry, oak or maple cabinetry.

And because park models are technically classified as recreational vehicles because they sit on a chassis, they can be set up on leased sites in campgrounds and RV resorts in some of the most ought-after destinations in the country, where the cost of real estate is beyond most people’s reach.

Park models are what have enabled Voyager RV Resort and other Sunbelt RV resorts to offer a winter home away from home for a fraction of the cost of a site built home or condo.

Park models average about $40,000 and can be set up on leased or purchased campsites in RV parks and resorts across the country, said William Garpow, executive director of the Recreational Park Trailer Industry Association, adding that about a third of the nation’s privately owned parks make spaces available for park model owners, usually for annual lease fees ranging from $2,000 to $7,000 a year, depending on location.

At Voyager RV Resort, used park models often sell for under $20,000, while new units can range from $40,000 to $70,000 or more, depending on the style and amenities.

The Parsons bought a used 1999 Cavco park model last year for $55,000 – a higher amount that reflected the fact that the unit was fully furnished and also included an “Arizona room,” which the Parsons use for entertaining. They also pay Voyager about $4,500 a year to lease their site. The lease fee includes water and sewer service and all park amenities, but electricity is not included.

Even so, that’s well within the Parsons’ budget.

So how did they do it?

First, they sold their house and Al’s financial advisory business in Pennsylvania and used the proceeds to buy their motorhome. They put the rest of their money in the bank and into their investment portfolio.

Downsizing was difficult at first, they said. They had a garage sale and gave several pieces of furniture to their children, but donated most of their possessions to charity. But they still wound up renting a 10- by 10-foot storage unit to store antique furniture, photographs, artwork and a few other possessions that were too sentimental to sell but too cumbersome to take with them on the road.

But if you’re contemplating doing what the Parsons have done, they offer a few words of advice:

Make sure both you and your spouse are equally committed to having a successful full-timing lifestyle: “The secret about fulltiming,” Bonnie Parsons said, “is that both people have to be equally enthused.” Conversely, if only one person likes the lifestyle and the other doesn’t, it won’t be enjoyable in the
long run.

Read up on full-timing before you do it: Many books are available that describe full-time RVing experiences. Bonnie said she read four of them before deciding full-timing was for her.

Rent RVs and park models before you buy them: Both motorhomes and park models can be rented. Try them out before deciding which product is best for you.

Consider buying a park model if you like to entertain: Bonnie Parsons says the space and durability of park models is essential for snowbirds who like to entertain.

Al Parsons, who is 77, also offered a word of advice to young people.

“Start saving now,” he said, “and aim to retire as young as you can.” People who start saving for retirement in their 20s and 30s can often retire by their mid-50s if they set enough money aside and make good investments. Parsons himself worked as an electrical engineer before starting a venture capital firm,
which he sold before becoming a full-time RVer.

For more information on a retirement lifestyle that includes park models, please contact William Garpow at the Recreational Park Trailer Industry Association at (770) 251-2672 and visit www.rptia.com.

This article originated from News Release:
RETIREES FIND FULL-TIME RVING IS A GREAT WAY TO SEE AMERICA

The obviously American gentleman was eating dinner while reading at a cozy French restaurant, but I just had to interrupt with a somewhat rude question: “Why do so few older men travel alone in Europe?”

I’d been on the road for two months, touring the world as a travel writer, and this was the first American male I’d seen flying solo. He responded with just one word: “Fear.” I thanked him and went on my merry way, only realizing later I hadn’t asked, “Fear of what?”

The flat fact, however, is that older women are more comfortable traveling to foreign countries without a partner or tour group. You see them sitting in cafés, diligently scribbling in their journals and taking in the passing scene with genuine smiles. I formed easy friendships with many of these women everywhere from Abu Dhabi to Krakow, and learned quite a few frugal foreign-travel tips, which I’m delighted to pass on to men and women alike.

1. Hostels
I can’t stress strongly enough how much cheaper and more enjoyable it is to stay in a hostel. Other overnight residences are not only more expensive, they tend to segregate you from the reality of a city or region. Hostels throw you right into the mix, which nowadays includes travelers of all ages — not just the young.

Hostels usually provide breakfast, the heftier ones yielding leftovers from which you can use for lunch. Free Wi-Fi access and front-desk workers who can point you to unique sites worth seeing round out the many benefits of staying in a hostel.

To make reservations before you leave or while you’re on the road, Lonely Planet and Hostel World allow you to search by location, price and type of hostel, with photos and a description of the accommodations.

2. Food
Shopping local markets is a great way to interact with residents, learn about new foods, and how to prepare them. It’s amazing how easy it is to converse about food when you don’t share a common language.

You’ll want several Ziplock bags of varying sizes to store bread and dry foodstuffs. In France, I’d make a to-die-for baguette sandwich with any of their hundreds of cheeses, then stuff it into a large bag for train travel.

A couple extra tips: If you’re heading to Spain, I found a cheap and delicious dinner of tapas came free with sangria orders placed during “happy hour.” Most stores in Arab countries will offer you a cup of coffee just for stepping across their threshold, should you need a caffeine jolt while shopping.

3. Guide Books
Thanks to online guides, there’s no need to fill your luggage with heavy books. I printed out the pages I needed and created a list of vital foreign words I’d need, like “please,” “thank you” and “How much does this cost?” Omniglot has an easy-to-use website that will get you started.

Lonely Planet has some great PDF guides and you can buy them by the chapter (roughly $5 each). ArrivalGuides.com and Hostel World offer free online guides, but they’re not as comprehensive and the selection is limited.

If computers aren’t your thing, buy a bound guidebook, read it, and cut out only the pages you’ll need.

4. Trains
Boy do I love train travel. It’s cheaper than renting a car or flying, helps you meet new people, and usually drops you off close to the action in major cities. The trick, if you’re traveling to a rural destination, is to know the stops before your destination so you can be ready to hop off at a moment’s notice.

Another couple handy phrases you should learn in each language are “How much does a ticket cost?” and “From which platform does the train depart?”

It’s best to buy your Eurail train passes before leaving as it’s cheaper in the United States. My pass ran out once, however, and Eurail provided free shipping on the second one.

5. Money
Rule number one: Never, never, never exchange money at the airport. You’ll pay the highest rate possible. Instead, look for an airport ATM and take out the maximum amount (usually around $200). You’ll pay a fee, but not nearly as high as the airport exchange rate.

Rule two: If you’re going to travel a bit upscale, buy gift cards at a discount from sites like GiftCardGranny to purchase American services found in foreign countries. This might include airlines, hotels or car rental agencies for which you can realize up to 25-percent savings.

6. Plastic Safety
Notify all credit card companies you plan on traveling outside the U.S. so they won’t place a hold on your account for unusual activity.

Finally, note your credit/debit card numbers and foreign contact phone numbers and keep this info in a safe place, separate from the cards. I stored mine in my email account with a bogus “subject” line. You might need this info should your plastic be stolen or problems arise.

That’s about it, except I highly recommend you keep a journal. Traveling alone is lonely at times and writing out your thoughts and experiences helps fill in some gaps. As a bonus, you’ll have a personal record of your adventures.

Happy trails!

About the Author:

Kate Forgach is a Baby Boomer consumer specialist for Kinoli Inc. She has written about senior issues for 11 years and has been featured in USA Today, Detroit News, New Orleans Times-Picayune, New Yorker magazine, “ABC World News,” NBC’s “TODAY” show and many other media outlets.